Synonyms of eerie

eerie

adjective

ˈir-ē 

variants also eery

as in haunting

fearfully and mysteriously strange or fantastic

eerie noises would occasionally come from locked rooms in the castle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• haunting
• creepy
• weird
• spooky
• uncanny
• bizarre
• unearthly
• mysterious
• unusual
• terrifying
• spectral
• ghostly
• ghoulish
• odd
• spookish
• curious
• ghastly
• quirky
• uncommon
• peculiar
• ghostlike
• quaint
• enigmatic
• outlandish
• supernatural
• horrible
• outré
• metaphysical
• puzzling
• horrifying
• terrible
• inscrutable
• preternatural
• unaccustomed
• dreadful
• queerish
• fearsome

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• normal
• common
• usual
• ordinary
• typical
• commonplace
• routine
• everyday
• natural
• prosaic
• unremarkable
• familiar
• unexceptional
• predictable
• expected

Synonym Chooser

How is the word eerie distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words uncanny and weird are common synonyms of eerie. While all three words mean "mysteriously strange or fantastic," eerie suggests an uneasy or fearful consciousness that mysterious and malign powers are at work.

an eerie calm preceded the bombing raid

When is it sensible to use uncanny instead of eerie?

While in some cases nearly identical to eerie, uncanny implies disquieting strangeness or mysteriousness.

an uncanny resemblance between total strangers

When can weird be used instead of eerie?

The words weird and eerie are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, weird may imply an unearthly or supernatural strangeness or it may stress peculiarity or oddness.

weird creatures from another world

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of eerie

In France, photographer Jerome Gilles captured this eerie scene as rich magenta auroras filled the sky above Morbihan, Brittany. —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Seven strange tales intersect in a small town populated by eerie figures, including a reclusive doctor and a man who claims ants live in his ears. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026

Just outside Rhyolite is the Goldwell Open Air Museum, where life-sized ghostly figures and colorful sculptures create a surreal and eerie contrast against the desert backdrop. —Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2026

Additionally, Steve and a handwriting expert discovered eerie similarities between his father’s writing and letters sent to the Examiner in 1947. —Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026